Water: The First Summer of Camp Element
by MARINA313
Summary: When Clara gets invited to an exclusive music camp with her friend Nathan, everything turns upside down. They find out special things about themselves, meet some new friends, and new romances blossom! I update often so plz read!
1. Invitation

**Disclaimer: i own this! this is my own work! i know i put it under aquamarine but the only thing they have in common are mermaids. **

**plz read and review! i will update soon if you do... and dont call me a reveiw nazi! i asked nicely!**

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**Prologue**

Welcome to camp. This isn't just any camp. This is a special camp for special kids with special abilities. They come from all over the country to come here to train and learn about their powers and talents. This is Camp Element.

**Chapter 1**

When I went to the beach last summer I expected the same trip as every other summer. I stay with my aunt and cousins, go to the beach some, hang out, shop, and then leave a week later. Little did I know that this particular beach trip would change my life forever...

It all started when we went to the beach. We just came out of the water and were about to eat lunch when my cousin suggested we eat on the sand dunes. We grabbed our sandwiches and walked across the hot sand to the tall grassy dunes. We sat down and started eating when I saw something glimmering in the sand. I reached over and picked it up. I expected it to be a shell or a quarter or something but it turned out to be a necklace with a light sapphire gemstone that was blinding in the sun. I showed it to my cousins, "Look what I found." I said holding up my treasure. "Wow!" Kati said pulling out of my hand to get a better view. "I've never seen anything as shiny!" My younger cousin Ali said leaning in next to Kati. It was true. They way the sun caught it, the little blue crystal inside shot beams of light in all directions. "I don't know if I should keep it you guys. Someone might really be missing it." I said looking at the necklace sparkle in the sun "You know what they say…" Kati said handing me the necklace. "Finders keepers," Kati said. "Losers weepers!" Ali chimed in. Instead of giving the necklace to my mom or laying it back in the sand, I put it on. A chill ran up my spine and my whole body felt like it was pricked with a billion ice cold needles. The feeling took my breath away. "Oh my gosh." I gasped. I touched the necklace and it was as if it had turned to ice. I didn't think much of it. I just thought that I had a chill…in 95 degree weather. I reached around to try to take the necklace off but the clasp disappeared. I figured I was just being stupid so I gave up on that. Unfortunately it was time to leave the beach, for that day, and for the summer. We packed up our things, stayed the night and left the next morning.

When we got back home, after a very tiring five hour drive, I ran started to unpack while my mom got the mail from our neighbor. "Clara!" my mom called from downstairs, "Mail for you!" Who would send a letter to me? I thought as I ran downstairs. I grabbed the letter addressed to Miss Clara Belington. I opened it up after I ran back up to my room. It was small yet perfect for me. My guitar was in the corner ready to be played, the walls were a light aqua blue. My bed was white with a white sheet and bright blue pillows. My bulletin board was full of pictures of my friends, my cat Bert, and other random things like concert programs, ticket stubs, key chains, ect. I jumped on my bed and opened the letter. It read:

**Congratulations!**

**Your son/daughter has been accepted into the Elemental Music Camp. Only 160 fine musicians make it every year. Please, don't deprive your child of this life changing experience! A full scholarship has been provided so you won't have to pay a penny for this 6 week camp full of music, learning, fun, and friendship. Don't miss out. Return your application by July 6th!**

I dumped out the rest of the contents of the envelope and found a brochure full of cheesy pictures, applications, forms, and a bus-pick up info sheet. 6 weeks in the Montana lived in Washington so it wasnt like a cross country trip. I wanted to go really badly, I knew I was a good singer and I would benefit from this camp but what would mom think? I brought the envelope back down to her and let her go through it. "Sounds good to me." She said signing off on the applications. "Both me and dad will be at work all summer. This will be better than you sitting at home alone all day." She signed the last paper and had me run the forms to the mailbox. I couldn't wait for the day when that big bus pulled up and took me away from a boring summer.

I ran over to Nathan's house after I went to the mailbox. He lived next door and we had grown up together. Making mud-pies in my back yard, dressing up Bert on goofy clothes that were for my dolls. We had been friends for years. I ran up to his doorstep and let myself in. "Hey! I'm here!" I called as I walked through the door. His parents were at work so he was alone with his sister. "Hey!" he yelled from the living room. I walked in to find him playing Halo and talking to someone on the little microphone. He was such a nerd! He pressed pause and moved some pillows so I could join him on the couch. I sat down and started to tell him about the music camp. "You're kidding right?" he asked looking shocked. I never thought about Nathan. What was he going to do over the summer? I hope I didn't hurt his feelings. "Well, I already turned in the papers but I guess I don't have to go when the bus comes." I stammered out. "No! This is great! I'm going to the same camp!" He said. This was going to be an AMAZING summer!

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**i hope u liked it! pm me for previews of the next chapters! agian, review, check out my profile, add me/my story to ur faves! hope you like. next chapter: they r going to camp!**


	2. Bus Ride

**Chapter 2**

We packed up our things early Sunday morning. The date was July 20th and the bus to camp was on its way. I ran to the corner of the street with a backpack, a guitar in one hand and a duffle bag in the other. I set my things down and pulled out my iPod to pass the time. All of a sudden I felt a cold finger tap my shoulder. I must have broken some windows with my scream. I spun around to find Nathan howling behind me. "You should have seen your face!" he said with tears running down his eyes from laughter. "Not funny!" I said laughing along and playfully slapping his arm. "Calm down Mermaid! It was just a joke!" he said still chuckling. When we were little we used to play in those little inflatable pools together. I used to sing at the top of my lungs and swim like a mermaid. Ever since we were 5 he has called me that, but I don't mind.

After a while of chatting and waiting for the bus he stopped talking. He looked nervous and he kept rubbing his palms together. "Is everything alright?" I asked. "Yeah. It's just that I've been meaning to talk to you about something for a while. It's just that… I kinda… ummm… can't wait for camp!" he finally said. "Yeah me too!" I said. Why did he get so nervous about saying he can't wait for camp? Maybe he was getting homesick already. The next 6 weeks would be really long if he was…

After a little while the bus finally came with a big banner on the side saying, "Music camp or bust!" as I walked up the steps to board the bus I was hoping, no, _praying _that this wasn't one of those camps where you had to do 50 different camp cheers, and wear itchy t-shirts, and make tacky macaroni art. I can see the letter home now… "Dear mom and dad, IF YOU LOVED ME YOU WOULD GET ME OUT OF HERE! Love, Clara."

I found a nice seat in the back with Nathan next to a Goth chick and a _really _hot guy! I wanted to be nice so tried to start a conversation. "Hi I'm Clara and this is Nathan. What's your name?" she looked up from the book she was reading and brushed her long jet black hair with hot pink streaks out of her face. "I'm Vanessa and this is my boyfriend Danny. You're new aren't you?" She said putting the book back in her bag. "Um yeah." I said rubbing my necklace. I haven't taken it off since the beach. I found the hook but I can't get it open! "I can't wait! Maybe we will bunk together." I said. She stared at my necklace. She had one too but it was a pink gem. "Probably not, they don't let-" Then Danny stopped her. "Common sweetie! She probably doesn't know. Let her find out." He said staring at her and holding her hand. "What are you talking about." I asked. I was super confused. I looked at Nathan and he also looked like a deer in the headlights. "Oh nothing." Vanessa said returning to her book.

After a few more stops a lady that had clearly had Botox injections stepped up to the front of the bus. "Boys and girls!" she said clapping her hands. The bus quieted down and she began talking. "Now that we have everyone, I hope your all ready for camp!" The bus erupted in cheers. This must be a pretty awesome camp! "If you don't see all of your friends, don't worry. They are probably on one of the other buses!" She continued in an annoyingly high voice. "If this is your first year, my name is Ms. Peachy, and if this isn't your first year, welcome back! We will be there in a few more hours so sit back, relax, and enjoy the soothing sounds of traffic!" She was pretty annoying but she was funny.

I grabbed my iPod out of my bag and started to listen to my favorite song. "What are you listening to?" Vanessa asked. "Jonsi." I said pulling an ear bud out of my ear. "Oh my gosh! I love him!" she said sliding next to me. "Wait, you know about him? Nobody does! It's so annoying!" I said. "I know! I went to see one of his concerts and it rocked!" she said. "Lucky! He only plays in Canada!" I said. "I know! My parents flew me up for my birthday." For the next hour we discussed music, books, TV, and basically everything! I looked over to see that Danny and Nathan had become pretty good friends.

All off a sudden the bus swerved off the road and plunged over a cliff. As we were falling Vanessa looked at me and said, "Welcome to camp!"


	3. Arrival

**Chapter 3**

We were falling. I braced myself on the seat on front of me. There were screams of terror, and… joy? Like how you would scream on a roller coaster. Nathan was freaking out too. I grabbed on to him without thinking. He held me in a way that made me feel safe, protected, even though we were going to die. I looked out the windshield to see the ground rushing at us at an unbelievably fast rate. I couldn't stop looking. I was hypnotized by my own death, but a split second before we crashed into the hard, unforgiving rock below a huge purple circle opened up, swallowing the bus. The bus slowed and leveled out as I looked out the windows dumbstruck. Why am I alive? I thought to myself. We were in a bright, glittering, purple tunnel. It was like those tunnels they use for the time traveling scenes in movies. We drove through for a couple of minutes before the tunnel opened up revealing a normal looking camp. Danny and Vanessa just looked bored.

Ms. Peachy and some other counselors ushered us off the bus and into a large building with the words "Camp Element" above the large double doors. It turned out to be an auditorium. We took our seats as the other campers walked in. Some of them were bored, like Vanessa and Danny but others looked as confused and mesmerized as I was. Ms. Peachy walked on stage along with a big tough man that looked like he belonged in a high school gym, a hippie, and a woman that could pass as my grandma.

"Welcome boys and girls to Camp Element! We are all happy you are here and we are ready to get right down to business." She said speaking into a microphone. "For those of you who are seasoned campers, you know that we like to do things to the max around here." She said pumping her fist in the air for enthusiasm. "But if this is your first year you may be a little confused. This isn't really a dance camp or music camp or whatever else your letter said. You are all very gifted children with special powers that may someday change the world! You are what we like to call Hybrids. You are half human, half animal. Please look at your necklaces ladies or rings men. If it is a pink necklace you're a fairy, half human half butterfly." Vanessa was a fairy? Wow! Talk about first impressions can be deceiving! "All fairies will be working with me in the dance studio and in the pink training center. Men with red rings are dragons." I looked over at Nathan. He had a red ring. "They will be working with Coach Jones on the sports fields and in the red training center. Green rings and necklaces are centaurs. Half horse half human. They will be in the band room with Tom." She pointed to the hippie. Danny's dark green ring was sparkling in the light. What type of place was this? "Finally girls and boys with blue necklaces are mermaids." What? I was a mermaid? There was no way! I could never be a mermaid and Nathan could never be a dragon! "They will meet in the chorus room with Ms. Alexander and the blue training room." She continued, pointing to grandma.

She went over some rules and the camp map. There were 40 cabins, five people per room. They were divided by "hybrid" and gender (duh.) They put each "hybrid group" in a different corner of the camp along with their training room and "practice area" (ex. Sports fields, dance studio, ect.) The mess hall, auditorium, and a lake were all in the center. The whole camp was surrounded by forest.

I was still trying to get my mind wrapped around being a mermaid. Was this really true? I figured I was in a dream but no matter how many times I pinched myself I couldn't wake up, and Ms. Alexander kept talking about "mermaid this", and "mermaid that". I finally accepted the fact that I was going crazy and needed to check into an asylum in the near future.

"Now if you will all go to your cabins and make your selves comfortable we can start with some basic 'get to know you' activities. The cabin assignment list is on the bulletin board outside. That is where you will see all camp announcements." Ms. Peachy said returning to the microphone. "You may be dismissed."

Everyone stood up, grabbed their bags and headed to the doors. I walked over to the list, saw that I was in cabin M-08, and started to walk up the gravel trail to the mermaid cabins. I walked in and saw 3 other girls about 14 or 15 (which was my age) "Hi I'm Clara."I said putting my bags on an empty bunk. "Hi I'm Kylie!" a tall red-headed girl said from the bunk above mine. "I'm Nina." Said a brunette next to me. "And I'm Kayla. It's nice to meet you." A blonde said shaking my hand. "You're new aren't you?" she asked. "Yeah." I said meekly. "Is it true, about the mermaids and fairies and stuff?" "Absolutely!" Kylie said. "Don't worry. Ms. Alexander is really nice. She will talk to you if you feel overwhelmed. She will take good care of you."

I unpacked and started to make friends with some of the other girls. Nina was from North Carolina and had two dogs. Kayla was from Kansas and had been going to this camp for three years. Kylie was from Jersey and played a ton of sports. They all said this camp was a ton of fun and that the 6 weeks flew by really fast. That had to be the most reassuring thing I had heard all day.


End file.
